OCEAN TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1916, Page 2

OCEAN TRANSPORT.

AND SHIPPING FREIGHT!? A TARANAKI MOVE. ; (From Our Own Reporter;'. Stratf oak*-Tuesday. As mentioned in the News' leading article of recent date, action 'has been mitated by some men of Stratford town ami district towards formulating some suitable policy in connection with the above matter. Our representative waited on Mr.| J. B. Richards to-day'with a view to deriving some information. Mr. Richards stated that he called a private meeting of chairmen of directors of dairy factory companies and other representative producers for October 24. There was a satisfactory attendance, and the question wis discussed at length. Tho salient features of the discussion included— (1) The ap-parent-necessity to replace wastage of tonnage in order to maintain British shipping supremacy; (2) the danger to our primary industries and the producers. generally of trust, control of th<, whole of our export production; (;!) the tremendous increase in shipping freights; (4ij ifcha rudiments qi \ tactical remedy. «■ tV The danger of trust control 5s 'je- ] lieved to be very real, particularly in view of the operations in iNew Zealand of the Meat Trust. It t, feared that the Meat Trust ma-y obtain <Jtrong footing, and may then tpalesce wjtii the shipping ring, which iwould ma'tc outside competition impossib' -. Moreover, the elimination of Oerman shipping «ompetition practically .places the producers in a position which enable# -the shipping jing to do as it pleases ij legard to freights. It may be sjrfely assumed that .the flipping Ting .ViU take all it can get ijust as readily as, any other body or person ijeebiug a profit. Investigation of shipping freights indicates that the increase involves ithe payment by New Zealand of the nuge sum of 6y 2 millions sterling over and above the pre-war cost. The "dizzy dance" of millions of pounds 'is apt to ■confuse the mind, which usually does not grasp the true significance of such huge sums, and it may jiot be ou'; of place to remark that tire .total amount of registered mortgages "in i>«\\ Zealand is 114 millions. The increiwp of freight would therefore C eeni o\ fik total mortjages pud leave p 'handsotti balance.

INTERESTING ''FIGURES. ' The following figures show '.uc Jo'a' .presumptive freights in Jeadla/ j* tides of export. The quantity utilic ed for calculation are the export i)~ur__a for 1914: .FREIGHT COSTS .j't .. ! ;1913-l-{ Hi)l6-1" '£ £ "Woor, greasy J 1,820,081 Wool, slipe 65,005 248,203 Wool, scoured '43,110' 105,257 Tallow 19,030 • 147,000 Sheepskins 17,383 » <10,037 Pelts .-.■..-......1 2-2,020- €3,615 Sausage skins , M 5,544 14,11*2 iP.resei'vea raeal3 3,632 9,534 Cheese 201,547 *>2,320* Butter....« 108,516 162,774 j 913 £2,990,643 The increase of these articles of export alone is therefore to which should be added the primage, which is a percentage charge and automatically iKcreaspa.i The total increase of the freight cost is, of joaraa, much greater, totalling, presumably, as previously mentioned, about 0y 2 million pounds. These facts should be sufficient to arouse the -jost lethargic. SOLUTION OF THE 'PROBLEM. I Tho .solution of the problem lies; ij providing .imple competition, which can be assured only by; building, chartering or 'buying x fleet o£ steamers for the New Zealand irade. The greatest difficulty will bo found, no doubt, in providing the necessary capital. Beyond question, tXew Zealand producers are better able to find the necessary capital than any other part of the community, and perhaps better than the Government. The excellent prices ruling for r«ro<icctS( lias car-cd much prosperity. Consideration of banking returns for September quarter show that free deposits have increased by six millions. There can Ire no j\is3t:oo of the ability of the producers to pro vide the capital.

The real question is in what "manner shall be provided. The question is so great and the benefits to be derived .are so general that extensive organisation is desirable, and tile simplest and most equitable method appears to be a levy on all exports or on certain classes of exports. Such a levy would quickly provide [be necessary funds, and with prices ruling high it would not prove irksome. The persons who paid the levy should have returned, to them shares in the "Ocean Transport Co." as a quid pro quo. Government co-opera-ation is highly desirable, if not essential. The meeting approved of the establishment of an "Oeein Transport Company," and set up a committee to promote action. The committee consists of Messrs J. li. Richards R. Dincle, R Masters and li. Marfell,

STARTING THE HALL :IOLLIXG. Their first action was to invito leadin;!' men in Ilawera, Eltluun and* New Plymouth to convene small meetings of representative men in each district for the purpose of discussing the question and formulating a scheme. It must q not be supposed that the Stvatford . committee assumes that the schema they offer is the only one possible It ■is the best they can formulate', and offer it as such. It requires elaboration, and perhaps finally a. bettor sehoine will be promulgated. There is, however, a certainty that some action must he taken. Tile Ilawera meeting was held ~\st Thursday, and a committee was set up to promote action. jV; speakers a'l approved of a levy on exports, but so far no resolution lias boon moved to approve the scheme. The immediate object in view Rt present is to get an organisation which can convene a meeting truly representing the producers of Taranaki when the broad principles of the movement may be adopted. The New Plymouth and Eltham meetings have not yet been held. Mr. Richards concluded uy aying that every producer spoken to in the matter is strongly in favor of prompt ■tcti- a, and he has every confidence that the '.oducers will pursue the matter to a successful conclusion.